Students should expect a 4.5 to 6.5 percent tuition increase per year in AU's upcoming two-year budget plan, said Provost Neil Kerwin on Monday at a town hall meeting in the University Club. This would raise the current $25,920 tuition to between $27,086 and $27,605.
About a dozen students, along with Vice President of Campus Life Gail Hanson and professor-in-residence John Richardson, attended Kerwin's meeting to discuss concerns over the increasing price of tuition.
A new budget will be released in February and made available to the entire AU community, Kerwin said.
Tuition increases will be used for projects such as upcoming construction around AU's campus, Kerwin said. Those plans include designing a new School of International Service building, moving the School of Communication to the McKinley Building and finishing the Katzen Arts Center this spring. AU also plans to maintain Bender Library and make sure it stays a priority, Kerwin said.
"I am concerned with the fact that a lot of things my tuition is going towards won't be here while I am," said Elizabeth Shoop, a junior in SIS.
AU also plans to increase the number of full-time faculty and qualified adjunct professors, a goal in the University's 15-point plan, Kerwin said. The number of full-time faculty also improves how AU is ranked. AU ranked highly in the Middle States accreditation and was listed as one of the Princeton Review's 77 "Best Value" schools last year, Kerwin said.
"Incoming freshmen's SAT scores have increased 40 points, and our acceptance rate has dropped to 53 percent - a 10-point drop since our last budget two years ago," Kerwin said.
AU also climbed in the U.S. News & World Report university rankings to No. 86 in 2004 from No. 99 in 2003. With tuition increases and the 15-point plan for improvement President Benjamin Ladner set up in 2001, AU has the potential to rank in the top 50 universities, Kerwin said.
"You will graduate from a better institution than I did 30 years ago," said Kerwin, an AU alumnus. "I hope that in 10 years when you look back at AU, you will be somewhat envious."
Despite tuition increases, Kerwin stated that AU still maintains a .5 percent lower tuition rate than other private universities.
"To be frank, I feel that we need a 6 percent or higher tuition increase," Kerwin said. "I can look everyone here in the eye and say it would make for an even better university."
Energy costs and health insurance premiums for the next budget cycle are expected to cost $1 million each, Kerwin said. Natural gas prices for AU are expected to be close to $1 million as well.
Housing costs are also expected to increase along with tuition, Hanson said. A two-person residence hall room cost $6,590 this year.
"I am concerned with the fact that residence hall fees will be increasing yet our local phone service will be cut," said Christy Washington, a freshman in SIS.
However, with tuition increases will come additional financial aid as well, Kerwin said.
Washington chose to attend the meeting in order to "not be angry about something she doesn't understand," she said.
"Other students are counting on me to explain the issue of tuition to them," Washington said. "One of my main concerns is whether or not they will use some of our tuition money to clean up our lower athletic fields ... that is a threat to our safety."
Arsenic was found in the intramural fields in 2001, resulting from buried weapons that the Army Corps of Engineers tested at AU during World War I. The Army Corps has been cleaning up affected areas since then.
Student Confederation President Polson Kanneth praised the town hall's proceedings.
"I thought that the students in attendance had very good questions and seemed well-versed in this issue," Kanneth said. "That is the reason for these meetings...To keep students informed about the budget process and create transparency within the institution."
The final forum on tuition will be Monday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. in the Kay Spiritual Life Center. The new upcoming two-year budget plan will be discussed.
